Harrogate man wins gold at Parkinson’s table tennis world championships

When George Chan was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2012, he was determined to carry on playing the sport he loves.

The 60-year-old from Harrogate has not just carried on — he’s excelled.

In Berlin over the weekend, George picked up a doubles gold medal and silver medal in the Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championship.

Last month he also won a gold medal in the Parkinson’s UK Championship.

George told the Stray Ferret that winning the gold in Berlin, representing England alongside American Nenan Bach, was an emotional moment.

“When we won I hit two smashes to win the game, and we both hugged each other. It was two different nations with one common cause. It was very touching.”

Parkinson’s is a brain condition that can cause involuntary shaking.

Table tennis competitions for people with Parkinson’s are played with the same rules as traditional table tennis but with some minor tweaks, such as competitors are allowed to put their non-playing hand on the table for balance.

George went to Harrogate Grammar School before moving to Manchester to raise his family. In 2004 he returned to Harrogate through work and joined the Harrogate Racquets Club table tennis league, a sport he’d played since university.

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Playing a decade after diagnosis

He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2012 but was determined to carry on playing in defiance of the disease. He said table tennis helps people with Parkinson’s because you have to think and move quickly.

“When you are diagnosed the world caves in around you, but why give up what I love ? 10 years on I’m still managing to hold my own against able people in the Harrogate league. On the face of it, not a lot of people know I have Parkinson’s.

“And table tennis is the best sport for us, it’s fast for the mind and body. Some of the shots you hardly have time to think so it helps your subconscious.

“The more we can utilise natural remedies the better it is for us.”

George was inspired by fellow competitors during the week in Berlin.

He added:

“The amazing thing was how gutsy some of the players are despite lack of mobility and shakiness. It was quite amazing to see. It’s the biggest group of Parkinson’s people I’ve ever been with and they had a very upbeat outlook on life.

“Once you got onto the table it was surprising how optimistic and alive the players became. There was a common cause to help relieve Parkinson’s and find a cure. Table tennis has brought us together.”

George coaches youth classes table tennis classes at Harrogate Racquets Club on Firs Road. If you are interested in playing visit its website.

Only 12 of 500 complaints against Harrogate builders led to prosecution

Trading Standards has received 500 complaints against Harrogate district builders or contractors since 2012 — but only 12 prosecutions have taken place.

The Stray Ferret obtained the data from North Yorkshire County Council through a freedom of information request.

The request also revealed that 338 separate investigations have taken place following the complaints. However, the number of investigations each year has fallen sharply: in 2013 there were 72 and the number fell to just 16 in 2020.

The findings, along with the experiences of some of those who have filed complaints, have led to concerns about the value of taking action.

Jon Fallis, who filed a complaint after Harrogate cowboy builder James Moss left a £30,000 conversion in a poor state, said the figures “were not a surprise at all” and raised questions about the effectiveness of Trading Standards in tackling rogue builders.

Trading Standards, which is run by North Yorkshire County Council, has the power to investigate cases of poor work or allegations of fraud against builders.

Mr Fallis added:

“The numbers fit our experience. They have been difficult and obstructive. There’s no feeling they are on the side of the taxpayer.”

We spoke to another person who was so defeated by his dealings with Trading Standards he didn’t bother making a complaint after being unsatisfied with the quality of another Harrogate builder’s work.

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, called the department a “toothless tiger”.

Trading Standards is prevented by law from providing information about individuals or businesses, but its list of prosecutions against builders in Harrogate includes prison sentences, community service and compensation.

The full data is below:

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The Federation of Master Builders, a trade association for builders, conducted a national survey that found 56% of people who commissioned building work had a bad experience with their builder.

The body has called for the government introduce licensing to stamp out rogue traders.

Trading Standards response

In response to the FOI request, Matt O’Neill, assistant director growth, planning and Trading Standards at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Our trading standards service is determined in its enforcement work, not only to protect the residents of North Yorkshire as consumers, but also to ensure a level playing field for the many legitimate businesses in the county.

“The service receives about 7,000 complaints from consumers each year. Officers assess these to determine which should be investigated. Following an investigation, enforcement may range from advice and guidance to prosecution and confiscation or forfeiture of assets following conviction.

“In deciding whether to prosecute, the service must first be satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. A decision to prosecute is not taken lightly. Prosecution is a serious step with considerable repercussions for those who face criminal charges.

“The service has a strong track record. For example, a joint operation with colleagues from other agencies last year saw the courts order offenders to give up £140,000 in proceeds from their crimes to compensate their victims.

“There are occasions when the standard of businesses’ work does not meet consumers’ expectations. This is not acceptable and consumers could take action in the civil courts for breach of contract. However, such conduct would not necessarily amount to a practice over which the trading standards service could take action.

“Equally, businesses sometimes fail. This is recognised in law, with provision for the management of bankruptcy and insolvency. A business failure alone will not amount to conduct about which the trading standards service could take action. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has a remit to investigate sole traders and companies that have acted illegally in relation to the formation or solvency of trading entities.”

Harrogate’s ‘forgotten’ war memorial restored to former glory

A dilapidated war memorial in Harrogate’s Grove Road cemetery has been restored.

The memorial contains the names of 16 men from the Bilton and High Harrogate areas who lost their lives in the First World War.

When the nearby methodist church in which it stood was converted to flats, the memorial was relocated to the cemetery.

It was left in parts on pallets and had remained there since, almost forgotten in the undergrowth.

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Paul Haslam, a Conservative councillor who represents Harrogate Old Bilton on Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge on North Yorkshire County Council, spearheaded a campaign to see it restored.

Work cost about £6,000 and was paid for by Harrogate Borough Council. It was completed by local builders Dean Alexander and Nathan Procter, who are both ex-servicemen.

Dean Alexander and Nathan Procter

Cllr Haslam said he was “delighted” to see it finished.

He added:

“We look forward to Armistice Day when people can commemorate the sacrifices these people made with the fitting memorial restored to as it was intended”.

Business group: New housing means Harrogate Tesco could be needed

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce has said a new Tesco on Skipton Road could be needed due to the “unprecedented” amount of new housing on that side of Harrogate.

The Stray Ferret reported this week that Tesco had revived plans to build a supermarket on the old gasworks close to the New Park roundabout. Multiple sources told us a formal planning application is expected before the end of the year.

David Simister, chief executive of the chamber,  told the Stray Ferret the housing landscape around Skipton Road and Killinghall had changed since Tesco first submitted plans to build on the site over a decade ago.

Mr Simister said:

“Since Tesco first put in an application more than a decade ago, that side of Harrogate has seen an unprecedented amount of house building.

“At the moment, the only large supermarkets serving this area are Aldi, on Oak Beck Road, and the Co-Op on Jennyfield Drive, and having another big name may well cut down on car journeys across town.

“Until we see the planning application, it’s impossible to know if there are any other employment or retail opportunities for the site.”

Tesco received planning permission to build a supermarket there in 2011 but pulled out in 2016, citing market conditions. At the time it faced opposition from business groups, including the chamber, which represents many businesses in the district.

In 2014, the chamber’s then-vice president Peter Jesper called on the supermarket chain to pull out due to safety fears related to the old gasworks and its impact on local businesses.

He said:

“We still strongly believe that this is not a suitable place for a new superstore.”

It is believed the supermarket, which would be built on land between Electric Avenue and Oak Beck, would be smaller than the one previously proposed.

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A 20-year history

Tesco has harboured ambitions to build on the site for almost 20 years.

Land Registry documents reveal the supermarket bought the site for £2.8m in 2003 and still owns it.

It submitted a proposal to build a supermarket there in 2009, which was approved by Harrogate Borough Council in 2011.

However, Tesco pulled out in 2016. An Aldi supermarket opened on the retail park just off Skipton Road in 2016.

A computer-generated image of the abandoned 2009 plans.

In a media statement in 2016, Matt Davies, Tesco’s UK chief executive at the time, said the site would be sold.

In 2018 Consolidated Property Group said it had agreed to buy the site from Tesco to develop a retail park but the plans never materialised, despite obtaining planning permission.

Local MP defends ‘colourful language’ after F-word outburst

Local Conservative MP and government minister Nigel Adams has defended telling an anti-Brexit campaigner to ‘”f*ck off” outside Parliament.

Mr Adams, whose Selby and Ainsty constituency includes rural parts of the Harrogate district such as Spofforth, Huby, Weeton and Follifoot, dropped the F-bomb outside the House of Commons on Wednesday after he was approached by anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray.

A spokesperson for Mr Adams said his “colourful language” reflected the views of many MPs who had encountered Mr Bray.

The spokesperson said:

“The gentleman in the blue top hat who Mr Adams directed some colourful language towards is a well known political activist known as ‘Stop Brexit Man’.

“He has spent the last few years harassing, following and hurling abuse at elected Parliamentarians as well as interrupting journalists, preventing some from doing their job of reporting the news and conducting interviews.

“Mr Adams’ remarks no doubt reflect those of many democratic representatives trying to deliver on the will of the people and others seeking to go about their business who have been harassed or had their work disrupted by this individual and his handful of followers.”

Mr Bray, who is well-known for wearing an EU top hat and taking part in daily protests outside Parliament, asked the MP a question about the vote on the Health and Care Bill.

In a video of the exchange that followed, Mr Adams said to the campaigner:

“Why don’t you talk to your MP and f*** off, you’re getting on my nerves.”

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You can watch the video below. Warning: it contains strong language.

Nigel Adams Tory MP not happy to answer some questions… tells me to fuck off & calls Sylvia a numpty. He also calls me Dave… a far right myth. #BrexitTax pic.twitter.com/OsZyufyuqj

— 4th July – There's gonna be a Tory wipeout! (@snb19692) September 8, 2021

 

‘It’s working well’: Campaigner counts cyclists using Harrogate’s Beech Grove

Harrogate cycling campaigner Malcolm Margolis spent two hours yesterday counting cyclists using the new Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood.

Mr Margolis was spurred into action after reading a Stray Ferret article on Wednesday, which reported that on average around three cyclists per hour over a 24-hour period used the road.

The figures came from North Yorkshire County Council following a freedom of information request.

The county council closed Beech Grove to through traffic in February, initially on a six-month trial to encourage walking and cycling. It later extended the trial to 18 months.

The seemingly low number of cyclists using Beech Grove bemused Mr Margolis, who said he used the road several times a week and saw many more cyclists than the council’s survey suggested.

So he put up a camping chair next to the planters and took out his notepad and pen to count them himself.

He counted 17 cyclists from 8am to 9am and 21 cyclists from 2.45pm to 3.45pm. He said his survey proved the scheme is working well.

“The figures didn’t make sense to me. So I woke up this morning and thought, ‘let’s go down and spend an hour there to see how many I can count’.”

The Stray Ferret joined Mr Margolis for an hour in the afternoon to join him counting cyclists. We also counted three cyclists illegally crossing the Stray, and seven motorists performing U-turns in the road after realising they could not pass through.

Mr Margolis accepted that his own survey was not totally scientific because it was performed on a sunny day during peak hours. But he said the reality of the low traffic neighbourhood is that the road has been “transformed” for cyclists and pedestrians.

Passionate debate

Several curious onlookers stopped, including a man called David who was on his way to Western Primary School to collect his two children.

He said:

“It’s made it so much easier to walk to school with my children.”

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Another cyclist called Quentin said the scheme had wider benefits than just promoting cycling.

“We need to do something to tackle climate change. This is not just a benefit for cyclists, we see far more walkers.”

There were some dissenting voices, however. A couple called Sarah and George, who live together on Cold Bath Road, told Mr Margolis they were not in favour of the scheme, which prompted a passionate debate on the merits of the closure, with other passers-by joining in.

Sarah said:

“It’s backwards. It’s pushing traffic onto Cold Bath Road.”

Mr Margolis told the couple that the scheme will help create a cycling culture similar to those in Holland, Germany or Japan.

Sarah responded:

“It will never happen! We don’t have enough space.”

With the trial set to continue until August 2022, the Low Traffic Neighbourhood will continue to be debated for some time to come.

Woman sexually assaulted at Harrogate train station

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to following a sexual assault at Harrogate Station.

A woman waiting for a train was approached by a man who tried to strike up a conversation with her shortly after 7pm on Saturday August 7.

The woman turned away but the man continued to speak before sexually assaulting her.

British Transport Police said in a statement today:

“Officers believe the man in the image may have information which could help their investigation.”

If you recognise him, or have any information, you can contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference number 567 of 07/08/21.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.

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Local MP under fire for telling campaigner to ‘f*** off’

Local Conservative MP and government minister Nigel Adams has been criticised for telling a campaigner to “f*** off” outside the House of Commons yesterday evening.

Mr Adams, whose Selby and Ainsty constituency includes rural parts of the Harrogate district such as Spofforth, Huby, Weeton and Follifoot, was approached by anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray at about 8pm.

Mr Bray, who is well-known for wearing an EU top hat and taking part in daily protests outside Parliament, asked the MP a question about last night’s vote on the health and social care bill — which provoked an angry response.

Mr Adams said:

“Why don’t you talk to your MP and f*** off, you’re getting on my nerves.”

“I’m not interested in speaking to an odd bloke with a top hat on chasing me down the street.”

The incident was filmed and posted on Mr Bray’s Twitter page. It has so far received 2,700 likes.

Watch the video in full below:

Nigel Adams Tory MP not happy to answer some questions… tells me to fuck off & calls Sylvia a numpty. He also calls me Dave… a far right myth. #BrexitTax pic.twitter.com/OsZyufyuqj

— 4th July – There's gonna be a Tory wipeout! (@snb19692) September 8, 2021

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Arnold Warneken, who stood as a Green Party candidate against Mr Adams at the 2019 General Election, told the Stray Ferret the MP’s comments were “disgraceful”.

He added:

“When you get elected to parliament, members of public asking you questions is part of the job. You don’t tell them to f*** off.

“He didn’t have to say anything. He should hang his head in shame.

“The people of Selby and Ainsty trusted him to argue his case rather than offer two-word expletives. We need to improve standards of ministers.”

The Stray Ferret has approached Mr Adams, who is also the Minister for Asia, for comment.

Tesco to revive controversial Skipton Road supermarket plans

Tesco is to revive controversial plans to build a new supermarket on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

No formal planning application has been submitted but multiple well informed sources have told the Stray Ferret discussions have taken place between the supermarket and Harrogate Borough Council with a view to submitting a bid before the end of the year.

The supermarket would be built on the old gasworks close to the New Park roundabout, which is on the junction with Ripon Road.

It is believed the supermarket, which would be built on land between Electric Avenue and Oak Beck, would be smaller than the one previously proposed during the 2010s.

However, it would be Harrogate’s first full size Tesco. There are Tesco Express stores on Cambridge Road and Knaresborough Road and one is being constructed in Killinghall, about a mile from where the new one could be built.

A 20-year history

Tesco has harboured ambitions to build a supermarket on the site for almost 20 years.

The Stray Ferret has obtained Land Registry documents that reveal Tesco bought the site for £2.8m in 2003.

It submitted a proposal to build a supermarket there in 2009, which was approved by Harrogate Borough Council in 2011.

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However, Tesco pulled out in 2016 following years of opposition from retailers, which said the supermarket would damage local trade. An Aldi supermarket opened on the retail park just off Skipton Road in 2016.

A computer generated image of the abandoned 2009 plans.

In a media statement in 2016, Matt Davies, Tesco’s UK chief executive at the time, said the site would be sold. He said:

“Our priority now will be to ensure the site is sold so that it can play a positive part in Harrogate’s future development.”

In 2018 Consolidated Property Group said it had agreed to buy the site from Tesco to develop a retail park but the plans never materialised, despite obtaining planning permission.

Land Registry document reveals that Tesco held on to the site and is its current owner.

Tesco declined to comment when approached by the Stray Ferret.

More homes set to be added to 600-home Knaresborough scheme

House builder Taylor Wimpey looks set to be granted permission to include another 23 properties in the 600-home Manse Farm development in Knaresborough.

A Harrogate Borough Council report recommends the council’s planning committee approves two variations to the original planning permission, which allowed 600 homes to be built.

The first variation is to increase the number of homes number by 23. The second variation is for the developer to change the road layout to its nearby 400-home Highfield Farm development, which is yet to be granted planning permission.

In total, over 1,000 homes could eventually be built to the east of Knaresborough off the A59.

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The council report recommends councillors approve the application to improve access between the Manse Farm and Highfield Farm developments.

It says:

“Without such a condition there is a risk that the links would not be provided, leaving the residents of the Highfield Farm development isolated from the proposed facilities on Manse Farm and forced to use the A59 as the sole point of access.”

Goldsborough and Flaxby Parish Council objected to the proposal, saying the development needed fewer homes rather than more.

It said:

“The original overall total 1,002 approved houses on the east side of Knaresborough, at the Manse Farm and the neighbouring Highfield Farm developments, was already excessive and inappropriate.

“Taking this total up to 1,027 is therefore not supported. Reductions in housing in these developments should be taking place, not increases, in order to make the developments a more rewarding living environment.”

The council’s planning committee will meet next Tuesday to consider the application.